THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

REVIEWS FROM MY VINYL COLLECTION

Tag: music review (Page 89 of 480)

STEELHEART – Tangled In Reins

February 26, 2024 /

Album number two for these Connecticut rockers. The album was originally released back in ’92 and I guess the record company had high hopes for it as their debut album was certified gold, but with this album being released in ’92 it was never going to be easy. The band basically carried on where their first album ended, and they delivered another great hard rockin’ record.

There are plenty of tracks to get you up and moving. Like opener Loaded Mutha, which doesn’t disappoint. It’s got a great uptempo groove with a nice riff and a cool hook and chorus. Sticky Side Up is more of the same with a bit more swing. Electric Love Child slows the groove right down to a glam sleaze fest. Late For The Party is a typical weekend party song with a huge sing-a- long hook and chorus.

Love ‘Em And I’m Gone carries on that vibe and they really do have the knack of writing super catchy choruses. A great opening to Take Me Back Home, with lots of guitar. The band’s namesake tune Steelheart is the heaviest thing on this record and romps along at a fair old lick. Dancing In The Fire ends the record how we started it, with a great uptempo rocker with their trademark gang-sung hook and chorus. After that, we’ve got two ballads and that’s the album.

Steelheart are still out there playing live and released their last album in 2017. Overall, this is a fun album.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

CALIGULA’S HORSE – Charcoal Grace

February 20, 2024 /

I have only had this for about a week now, and I have played it constantly. This is the brand new 2024 release from the home of some of the best Prog metal on the planet, in the land down under. I know we are only one month in to the new year but this has to be a strong contender for album of the year.

This is album number six (I think?) and I’m digging the heavier groove. Part of the conditions when you join the Prog ranks and get your Prog licence is you have to have a track that covers a whole side and they do this here in the title track Charcoal Grace, and it’s split into four parts. More of that later. On to the opening tune The World Breathes With Med, I’m blown away with everything about this. It’s got soaring vocal harmonies, equally soaring guitars, and some serious heavy grooves, man what a tune. The opening choppy riff and groove to Golem is just wonderful, an absolute beast of a tune.

Now back to the title track, I think uplifting has to be the word of choice here as the whole piece gives me a sense of joy. Of course, the track builds and drops and builds again as you’d expect from a track clocking in at just over 24 minutes, taking the listener on a wonderful aural experience, but that’s what I expect from a band as good as this. Now if Inside Out believed in releasing singles then Sail would be my choice. It’s such a beautiful song with a superb vocal melody and the solo is sublime.

Stormchaser follows and I would say this is what I love most about the band. One minute they have the most beautiful delicate passages and melodies then they mix the same melody with some real low end boom and killer instrumentation. The end seems to arrive so quickly with Mute but it’s a 12 minute ending. It has such a dramatic intro and opening. Again, we get the delicate vocal and playing that gives way to maximum heaviness with double kicks and killer staccato riffing.

Great ending for a great album!

10/10 from The Grooveman.

POISON – Look What The Cat Dragged In

February 20, 2024 /

From the sublime to…well, the album I reviewed before this one was by Plini, so from one end of the spectrum to the other.

Now, a lot of not very nice things a have been written and spoken about Poison, some of them justified I may add but people do forget that they sure know how to write a catchy rock song. Cry Tough, I Want Action, and Talk Dirty To Me all have that something that appealed to a huge section of the rock community in the late 80’s. Their albums sold in the squillions and a heavy rotation on MTV made Poison a household name. If you don’t take it all too seriously, then it’s just rock n’ roll right?

Well, I like my rock with a bit more substance but occasionally when there’s a full moon and wolves are howling I will play this just for the hell of it. The thing is CC is not a bad guitar player and I always thought he was too good for them. On that note, I’m going for Play Dirty as my favourite tune because CC riffs it up and plays a nice solo.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

PLINI – Finnvox Sessions

February 20, 2024 /

Here is another fine release from the ever prolific Plini. This time it’s the Finnvox Sessions released in 2023, well that’s what it says on the cover anyway. This is just a three track EP, and only one sided, Side 1 is blank. Wasteful? Quite possibly, but the music in those three tracks is wonderful.

First track Electric Sunrise is a mix of atmospheric ambient guitar tones with some serious low end groove that sound so clear, if you close your eyes you could be in the room with them. I’ll Tell You Someday follows a similar pattern with more of a slower Prog fusion vibe. Killer playing from the whole band here. Things end oh so quickly with Cascade, the heaviest sounding track of the three. I don’t mean that in a fast way, but the riffs and runs are played over a deep heavy groove. I would say the third track is my favourite of the three.

I could listen to all of Plini’s recordings on an endless loop, I find them so inventive and uplifting.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

« Older posts Newer posts »

Archives

© 2025 THE GROOVEMAN'S COLLECTION

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑